Ballast distributor



Jan. 26, 1965 J. SPENO ETAL BALLAST DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 5, 1962 i. s W;

m 0 m w 0 7 JV MW M4 w 5 BY %n/J#w, 04, {lam/m ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1965M. J. SPENO ETAL BALLAST DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1962INVENTORS MAW/xv J. spe/va A'NTHOM 7751mm BY huh, 64', gm, ZJJWATTORNEYS 3,167,172 BALLAST DISTRIBUTGR Martin 3. Speno, Syracuse, andAnthony T. Bruno, East lyracuse, N.Y., assignors to Frank Sperm RailroadRallast (Ileaning Co. Incorporated, Ithaca, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork Filed July 5, 1962, Ser. No. 207,689 8 Claims. (Cl. 198-46) Thisinvention relates to a conveying and distributing mechanism which isprimarily adapted for use in distributing ballast in various desiredratios to the opposite sides or shoulders of a road bed, though it is byno means restricted to this particular use.

In the maintenance of railroad beds there exists a problem ofmaintaining equal amounts of stone ballast on the opposite side of theroad bed, where shoulders are re quired for the purpose of maintaining agood track line as well as for maintaining substantially constant levelof the track. Inequality of the shoulders 'on opposite sides of thetrack most frequently occurs on curves, though it may also occur onstraight-aways, particularly where there is a substantial volumeof-heavy trafiic.

It has for many years been the practice to periodically move and cleanout the ballast from the shoulders by a transportable ballast cleaningunit carried by a train moving along the track and having means forscooping up the ballast from the opposite sides of the track, siftingand cleaning it to remove the dirt and foreign matter and then returningthe clean ballast back to the shoulders. A ballast cleaning machine ofthis general type is disclosed for instance in the Speno United StatesPatent 1,951,451 of March 20, 1934.

Prior to the present invention, however, there has been available nomechanized means for transferring surplus ballast from one side of thetrack to the side having insuflicient ballast.

By virtue of the present invention, however, it is made possible, aspart of the ballast cleaning operation, to transfer any desiredproportion of the cleaned stone coming from one side or shoulder of theroad bed to the other shoulder thereof, without interruption of theprogress of the ballast cleaning machine along the track and by the useof comparatively simple, economically produced and maintained mechanicalequipment.

To this end, separate laterally opposed discharging chutes, preferablyopening from a common hopper, are disposed to receive ballast deliveredto each by its individual infeed conveyor. For transferring the outputof either conveyor in any desired proportion to the discharge chutenormally served by the other conveyor, there is provided a transverselymoving transfer conveyor operatively positioned at the delivery ends ofthe respective infeed conveyors and supported for bodily transverseadjustment in such manner as to intercept all or any desired portion ofthe material delivered by one conveyor, and transfer it into thedischarge chute normally served by the other conveyor. In order topermit reversal of the transfer movement, the transfer conveyor itselfis reversib le. Preferably also the transfer conveyor is mounted forbodily retraction from its operative position so that when its functionis not required it may be maintained stored in an inoperative orretracted position.

Further. features and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe ensuing detailed description of the invention in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a ballast distributing mechanism inaccordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the structure of FIGURE 1 alongthe line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

United States Patent FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the structure shownin FIGURES 1 and 2, illustrating diagrammatically the manner in which itis adapted to be supported in operative relation for movement along arailway track to deliver the ballast in controlled amounts to theopposite sides of shoulders of the road bed, and

FIGURE 4 is a detail view showing the preferred manner of associatingits reversible motor with the transfer conveyor.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the several majorelements or components of the invention are but generally ordiagrammatically illustrated inasmuch as the several individualcomponents per se are conventional and constitute no part of the presentinvention apart from the combinations and subcombinations of suchelements or components as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, more particularly in FIGURE 3, there are shown the pairof laterally adjoining discharge chutes 1G and 11, which together withthe rest of the ballast distributing mechanism are adapted to betransported along the railroad tracks R as by means of a flat car, thearrangement being such that the discharge chutes have laterallyoutwardly or oppositely directed discharge openings 12 and 13 to whichtheir contents is directed along the inclined bottoms 14 and 15respectively of the chutes. The arrangement is such that the chutes aredisposed to deliver or discharge ballast onto the shoulders,respectively designated S, of the road bed on opposite sides of thetrack which is comprised of the series of ties T and the respectiveparallel rails R, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Preferably the two discharge chutes 10 and 11 define the lower portionof a common hopper H, the sides of which extend substantially above thechutes and in which the hopper itself opens upwardly and preferably isof substantially rectangular shape in plan. It will be seen that the twochutes are separated by an upwardly projecting divider 17 whichlongitudinally bi-sects the hopper midway of its width so that materialfalling onto the opposite sides of the ridge line or apex 18 of thedivider will be caused to fall down one or the other upwardly convergingside walls 17' intersecting along said apex for delivery into one chuteor the other.

In order to provide rigid supporting means for the structure hereinafterdescribed, there is provided a rigid frame, preferably in the form of asuper structure generally designated 26 and which is shown as comprisingthe opposed longitudinally extending parallel side elements 21 the rearends of which are interconnected by the rigid crosspiece 22, theseinterconnected elements being formed of suitable I-beams or otherconventional structural units and supported in spaced relation above theupper edges of the hopper as by means of the vertical standards orsupports 23 to 25 as shown.

For delivering the ballast into the respective chutes, there areprovided a pair of infeed conveyors 26 and 27 respectively havingrelatively laterally aligned delivery ends 26A and 26B above therespective chutes 14 and 15 for normal delivery by gravity of theballast or othermaterial discharged from each infeed conveyor into itsrespective chute. Obviously these infeed conveyors may assume any ofvarious forms, though they may advantageously constitute portions of aballast cleaning mech anism, each infeed conveyor thus being adapted toreceive the ballast picked up from the road'bed on its respective sideof the track and preferably being formed as a vibrating screen orsifting element of well-known type, sloping downwardly longitudinallyfrom its material receiving end to its delivery end over the hopper. Itwill be understood that the sloping bottom of each screen is providedwith a multiplicity of perforations of uniform size and disposition inaccordance with the practice well-known in con- 7 rolls 32.

nection with shifting screens. Its vibratory motion similarly may becaused by conventional means not herein shown.

It will be apparent, that with the elements thus far described, all ofthe material normally delivered through each infeed conveyor 26, 27 willbe directed by gravity into its respective chute 10, 11 from which itwill be distributed onto the road bed on the same side or shoulder fromwhich it was originally taken for cleaning.

In order to provide for diverting a portion of the material from eitherinfeed conveyor to the discharge chute normally served by the other suchconveyor, there is provided a laterally acting transfer conveyor 30having means for'supporting it in material receiving relation to theinfeed conveyors, or as shown in the preferred embodiments, beneath thedelivery ends of the respective infeed conveyors, with its materialreceiving and discharge ends disposed over the respective dischargechutes and across the divider earlier mentioned. As thus disposed, thehorizontally extending transfer conveyor 34) will receive a portion ofthe material delivered by one infeed conveyor and transfer such materialto the discharge chute normally served by the other such conveyor. Inthe present embodiment the transfer conveyor is exemplified by aflexible endless belt or apron 31 guided for movement in an endlesscircuit around rolls 32 and 33 supported at the opposite ends of a rigidframe which includes the rigidly interconnected parallel side rails 34and 35, each of which preferably supports an upwardly projecting sidewall or guide 36, 37 for confining the material on the upper operativerun of the belt.

It is an important feature of the invention that the transfer conveyor,whatever form it may assume, be provided with reversible drive meanswhereby it may be caused to convey material in either direction and thusin effect the reversible drive means may serve to relatively interchangethe functions of the receiving and discharging ends respectively of theconveyor. In the instant embodiment the reversible drive means is in theform of a reversible electric motor 38 preferably housed within theconveyor frame on the inner face of one of the side conveyor framemembers or rails 34, with its output shaft 39 rotatably extendingthrough said rail and connected by means of a flexible drive 40 to theshaft 41 of one of the conveyor In addition to being reversible, thedriving motor 38 in the instant embodiment also is of the conventionalvariable speed type, whereby its operational speed may be adjusted andcoordinated with the operational speed of the other associated conveyorsand components of the invention.

The supporting means for the transfer conveyor 30 provides for bodilylateral adjustment of the said conveyor, so that its receiving end maybe selectively positioned for reception of varying proportions of thematerial delivered by the particular infeed conveyor with which saidreceiving end may be associated. At this point it will be appreciatedthat either end of the infeed conveyor may be made to function as itsreceiving end and the other end as its discharge end, depending simplyon the direction in which upper run of the flexible conveyor is drivenby its reversible driving motor 38.

The specific means herein employed for thus supporting the transferconveyor comprises an I-bearn 42 which extends between and is supportedby the respective side members 21-21 of the super structure to define ahorizontal trackway on which is disposed a laterally movable trolley orslide 43 having rigid suspension arms 44 depending therefrom and fixedlyconnecting to the conveyor frame on the side thereof remote from thedelivery ends of the infeed conveyors to avoid interference with theinfeeding action. In other Words, the transfer conveyor is supportedfrom one side only, whereby its other side may'remain completely freeand unobstructed to avoid interference with the material issuing fromthe delivery ends of the respective infeed conveyors.

The trolley 43 itself includes interconnected opposed side platesadapted to depend on opposite sides of the I-beam and rotatablysupporting rollers 45 which are received in the oppositely facingchannels on opposite sides respectively of the I-beam.

Power means preferably is provided for selectively causing the lateraladjustment of the conveyor trolley and the transfer conveyor, such meanscomprising the double acting hydraulic cylinder and piston unit 46,having the free end of its piston rod connected to the trolley frame bymeans of the cross bar 47 extending between and connected to therespectively outwardly projecting bracket portions 48 of the trolleyside plates.

Although in normal operation, the transfer conveyor 30 will bepositioned as shown in full lines in FIGURES 1 and 2, adjacent andbeneath the delivery ends of the respective infeed conveyors, there willnormally be times when its use is not required. During such times itwill obviously be desirable to permit retraction of the transferconveyor from its operative position to an inoperative storage position.To this end, the opposite ends of the trolley guide rail or support 42are disposed and guided for sliding movement along the longitudinallyextending super structure rails or members 21, by means of the trolleysor slides 49 to which the ends of the guide rail 42 are rigidly aflixed.Each of these slides preferably is of inverted U-shaped cross sectionhaving trolley sheels 50 rotatably supported from its depending sidesfor rolling movement in and along the oppositely presented lower flangesof the respective I-bearns.

For moving the guide rail and transfer conveyor 30 between operative andinoperative positions, there is provided a double acting hydraulicpiston and cylinder unit 51 in which the base of the piston is fixed toa bracket 52 project-ing upwardly from the super structure member 22while the free end of the piston rod of such unit is connected to therail 42 by means of the clevis connection 53 illustrated. The sideplates of the trolley 43 are interconnected across the top of the rail42 only by the cross bar 47, all other cross connections 54 extendingbeneath the rail to avoid obstruction of the trolley movement by theclevis 53 or unit 51.

In the operation of the invention, in its preferred use in associationwith a ballast picking up and cleaning unit, the two infeed conveyors26, 27 will normally be forwardly directed and each adapted to receivethe ballast picked up from the shoulder of the roadway on its respectiveside of the railroad track, it being understood that there will beemployed suitable pickup means and conveyor mechanisms delivering theballast from each side of the track onto its respective infeed conveyor.In the event the ballast has already been cleaned at the time of itsdeposit onto the infeed conveyors then these elements need only beadapted to perform their conveying function. However, they may equallywell be adapted to perform the added function of screening out the dirtand foreign materials from the ballast, where the infeed conveyorsassume the form of vibrating screens as in the preferred embodiment. Thematerial delivered from the delivery ends of the respective conveyorsfalls at least partially on and is intercepted by the transfer conveyor.The transfer conveyor may be driven in either direction to divert thesaid material from either conveyor into the discharge chute normallyreceiving the entire discharge of the other said infeed conveyor. Therelative. proportion of the diverted material, with respect to theentire delivery of the particular infeed conveyor from which it isdiverted, may be selectively varied in obvious manner by lateraladjustment of the position of the transfer conveyor through appropriatecontrol of its hydraulic positioning unit 46. Where the functioning ofthe transfer conveyor -is not desired, it may be retracted from itsoperative position by actuation of the hydraulic piston and cylinderunit to retract not only the transfer conveyor but also its supportingtrolley 43 and guide rail 42. Thus all of these may be stored in an outof the way position at the rear of the hopper and remote from thedelivery ends of the infeed conveyors so as to avoid obstructing theflow of material therefrom. However, the transfer conveyor may berestored to its operative position adjacent and beneath the infeed endsof the infeed conveyors whenever desired by appropriate action of thehydraulic unit 51.

There is shown and described in thisapplication only the preferredembodiment of the invention, although it is recognized that theinvention is capable of other and different embodiments and that itsseveral details may assume varying forms, all without departing from theinvention as defined in the appended claims. Having thus described ourinveniton, we claim:

1. A ballast distributing mechanism comprising a pair of laterallyadjoining discharge chutes, a pair of simultaneously operative infeedconveyors having relatively laterally aligned delivery ends positionedabove the respective chutes for normally simultaneous delivery bygravity of the material from each infeed conveyor directly into itsrespective chute, a laterally acting transfer beneath said infeedconveyors, said transfer conveyor having material receiving anddischarging ends respectively over different said chutes to thus receivea portion of the material delivered by one infeed conveyor and transferit to the discharge chute normally served by the other infeed conveyor,reversible drive means for said transfer conveyor for relativelyinterchanging the functions of its receiving anddischarging endsrespectively, and means supporting said transfer conveyor for bodilylateral adjustment whereby its receiving end may be selectivelypositioned for reception of Varying proportions of the materialdelivered by one of said infeed conveyors, the distance between saidreceiving and discharging ends being substantially less than the lateraldistance between the relatively remote sides of the infeed conveyors topermit a wide range of adjustment of the transfer conveyor whilenevertheless retaining its discharging end in position above and fordelivery of the material from said one infeed conveyor into the chutenormally served by the other said infeed conveyor.

2. A ballast distributing mechanism as defined in claim 1, includingpower means operatively connected to said transfer conveyor forselectively adjusting its lateral position.

3. A ballast distributing mechanism as defined in claim 2, includingmeans supporting said transfer conveyor for longitudinal horizontalmovement toward and away from said delivery ends of the infeedconveyors, and power means for causing such movement.

4. A ballastdistributing mechanism comprising a pair of laterallyadjoining and simultaneously operating discharge chutes, a pair ofinfeed conveyors having relatively laterally aligned delivery ends abovethe respective chutes for normal delivery by gravity of the materialfrom each infeed conveyor directly into its respective chute, alaterally acting transfer conveyor beneath said infeed conveyors, saidtransfer conveyor having material receiving and discharging endsrespectively over different said chutes, to thus receive a portion ofthe material delivered by one infeed conveyor and transfer it to thedischarge chute normally served by the other infeed conveyor, and meanssupporting said transfer conveyor for bodily lateral adjustment to anyof various positions partially across the path of delivery of materialfrom said one infeed conveyor, the distance between said receiving anddischarging ends of the transfer conveyor being appreciably less thanthe distance between the relatively remote sides of said infeedconveyors.

5. A ballast distributing mechanism as defined in claim 4, includingmeans supporting said transfer conveyor for longitudinal movement fromits operative position to a retracted inoperative position remote fromsaid delivery ends of the infeed conveyors.

6. A ballast distributing mechanism comprising a pair of laterallyadjoining discharge chutes, a pair of infeed conveyors having relativelylaterally aligned delivery ends above the respective chutes for normaldelivery by gravity of the material from each infeed conveyor into itsrespective chute, a rigid supporting super structure above said chutes,a rigid laterally extending horizontal guide rail carried by said superstructure, a trolley guided for lateral movement along said rail, alaterally extending transfer conveyor having a horizontal conveyorportion supported by said trolley for bodily lateral adjustment withsaid trolley, said transfer conveyor having an operative conveyorportion disposed beneath the delivery ends of said infeed conveyors,said portion having laterally opposed material receiving and dischargingends respectively over different said chutes, to thus receive a portionof the material delivered by one infeed conveyor and transfer it to thedischarge chute normally served by the other infeed conveyor.

7. A ballast distributing mechanism as defined in claim 6, includingreversible drive means for said transfer conveyor for relativelyinterchanging the functions of its receiving and discharging endsrespectively.

8. A ballast distributing mechanism as defined in claim 7, includingmeans supporting said guide rail for longitudinal movement on said superstructure, and power means interconnected between said super structureand said guide rail for longitudinally moving the said guide rail toretract the transfer conveyor to an inoperative storage position remotefrom the delivery ends of the respective infeed conveyors.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 865,261 9/07Mehaffey 209--241 1,418,402 6/22 Scott 37l04 1,726,603 9/24 Allen209-24l 2,321,168 6/43 Tognetti 2l4520 2,503,129 4/50 Pautz 214520ERNEST A. FALLER, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner.

1. A BALLAST DISTRIBUTING MECHANISM COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLYADJOINING DISCHARGE CHUTES, A PAIR OF SIMULTANEOUSLY OPERATIVE INFEEDCONVEYORS HAVING RELATIVELY LATERALLY ALIGNED DELIVERY ENDS POSITIONEDABOVE THE RESPECTIVE CHUTES FOR NORMALLY SIMULTANEOUS DELIVERY BYGRAVITY OF THE MATERIAL FROM EACH INFEED CONVEYOR DIRECTLY INTO ITSRESPECTIVE CHUTE, A LATERALLY ACTING TRANSFER BENEATH SAID INFEEDCONVEYORS, SAID TRANSFER CONVEYOR HAVING MATERIAL RECEIVING ANDDISCHARING ENDS RESPECTIVELY OVER DIFFERENT SAID CHUTES TO THUS RECEIVEA PORTION OF THE MATERIAL DELIVERED BY ONE INFEED CONVEYOR AND TRANSFERIT TO THE DISCHARGE CHUTE NORMALLY SERVED BY THE OTHER INFEED CONVEYOR,REVERSIBLE DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID TRANSFER CONVEYOR FOR RELATIVELYINTERCHANGING THE FUNCTIONS OF ITS RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING ENDSRESPECTIVELY, AND MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TRANSFER CONVEYOR FOR BODILYLATERAL ADJUSTMENT WHEREBY ITS RECEIVING END MAY BE SELECTIVELYPOSITIONED FOR RECEPTION OF VARYING PROPORTIONS OF THE MATERIALDELIVERED BY ONE OF SAID INFEED CONVEYORS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAIDRECEIVING AND DISCHARGING ENDS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LATERALDISTANCE BETWEEN THE RELATIVELY REMOTE SIDES OF THE INFEED CONVEYORS TOPERMIT A WIDE RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT OF THE TRANSFER CONVEYOR WHILENEVERTHELESS RETAINING ITS DISCHARGING END IN POSITION ABOVE AND FORDELIVERY OF THE MATERIAL FROM SAID ONE INFEED CONVEYOR INTO THE CHUTENORMALLY SERVED BY THE OTHER SAID INFEED CONVEYOR.